The Author Speaks Of Her Novel, Fantasy Island: A fantasy novel about four children who went to a holiday camp located on an Island which lost it's glory and faced the threat of destruction.


Introduction: Karo Oforofuo is an indie author who has published one out of many written novels. She talks about the published novel "Fantasy Island: The Stolen Globe" and her challenges while writing it.
I have written a lot of short stories and novels but, Fantasy Island is my first published novel. I was out walking when the idea of a book came and it looked like fun to me so, I started off with the project. Unlike my other novels, I was really enthusiastic about this as I arrange the plot in my mind. What I really wanted to portray was a beautiful world where everything was great, more like a paradise. But of course man has a way of turning things around and greed happens to be one of the driving forces. This is what Fantasy Island is about. I used kids as my heroes because they are pure at heart and care more about little things than adults do. In my story, the kids saved the day and had a very unusual experience doing it as well as making new friends. The main characters are of course fictional but portrayed us in many ways. Let me start with Ken. Ken: Ken's character was that of a person who against all odds tried to take everyone along and he did not take sides. When his two best friends Nick and Paul protested about bringing Telma into their clique. he let them know that she earned her position because she first asked to go with him to the Island and by the way, going to the Island was her birthday gift to him. Also he did not let the boys pick on Telma and he did his best to make her feel welcomed. Nick: Nick's character was that of person who is very careful about everything. He tries to look at the effects certain things could have on him and his friends. Although he was more opposed to Telma and her plans than the others were, he joined and even supported Ken whenever he chose to follow Telma's suggestions. Paul: Paul was a glutton, a clown and a happy person. He never allowed his fatness get the better of him. Though he did not also like Telma at first, he later took her as one of his pals and unlike Nick, he did not mind going along with Telma's plans for adventure. Although he constantly longed for food, the rigors of jungle life made him trim down and he decided to stop the food habit and maintain his shape. Telma: Telma was the master planner of the whole adventure; it was her idea all the way. She had only just been discharged from the hospital when Ken invited her to his birthday party. Little did he know that she had plans of her own. Telma promised to give him a fulfilling birthday gift and truly she kept to her promise. She had been to the Island before and made friends with some people and creatures, she loved her experience on the Island and wanted to share it with Ken as a way of thanking him for inviting her to his party. Though she felt bad about Nick’s attitude towards her, she was happy that Ken actually accepted her from the start. Eltaca: Eltaca lived in Fantasy Island and represented both the human species and the panther species. Right from the moment the kids stepped into the Island, she sensed their quest for adventure and decided to let them have it. The Island needed to be saved and she picked the children to join her in saving it. Her character was more motherly than friendly. She did all she could to make sure the children remained alive and well. My Challenge: My only challenge in writing this book was time. I didn't have it enough because of my job. I was teaching in a secondary school and the curriculum was tight. Most times I came back home too tired to even look at my manuscript. But somehow, I found a way to finish the book. I enjoyed writing it, I hope you will enjoy reading it. An Excerpt From Fantasy Island. Although the sky was cloudy, morning was much brighter than night. The house gradually lit up and one could hear birds whistling outside. Ken was the first to open his eyes, he felt different but did not know why, then he stretched out and yawned, but instead of seeing his hands, he saw the hands and claws of an animal. In complete shock, he jumped up and looked at himself. "Oh God!! What is this?" he looked up at the others who were still asleep, they too had changed over night. They no longer had the body of a human; they were now panthers, all black in color except Ken, who was dark blue. "This must be a dream, and I have to find a way to wake up." He started to hit his head against the wall but only succeeded in making noise that woke the others up. They opened their eyes and saw a panther hitting himself against the wall. Out of fear and not knowing that the panther was actually Ken, they all jumped up and screamed, the screams got even louder when they looked at themselves and saw what they had become. Ken stopped hitting himself and walked up to them. "Ken?" asked Nick, "Is that really you? or the real deal?" "It's me," came the sad reply. "But how did this happen?" asked Paul. Telma moved around taking note of every-thing while the boys continued to rant about their unfortunate condition. "I hate to burst your bubble guys, but, it seems we had a visitor last night." The others rushed to her side. "How do you know that?" asked Ken, "Look!" said Telma as she showed them the prints of an animal on the floor. "It is the only print I can find and I suspect it was a panther, the size is bigger than ours but looks exactly like ours, fits perfectly too." Nick noticed something and moved a little away from the others to look at it tho-roughly, "Hey guys? did you notice the plates are cleaned out and kept in their place? I don't remember anyone of us having the strength to wash up last night.” "Oh!" gasped Telma in surprise, "The pot is washed too!” “Am beginning to suspect that the food is the reason for this" said Ken. "So, I was right then" said Nick, "It was a set up right from the start, the scene was just too perfect, a pot of porridge, four plates, four spoons, four blankets, and two beds? Someone knew we were coming." "We better get out of here before anything else happens" Said Paul stammering "I agree" said Telma, "And since it's impossible to carry our bags along, I suggest we hide them before going." The four panthers with the aid of their mouth, pulled the bags under the bed and covered them with the blankets. Since the door was not locked, it was easy to push it wide open and step out. The air was not that fresh due to the rot but, the woods had brightened up, even though the sky was still covered with dark clouds. "I can't believe I came in here a human and am leaving a panther" said Ken, "This is so, so weird." “I know" said Telma, "But I also know someone who can help us out of this." "Please tell me you're not just trying to make us feel good?" asked Nick, "Well" she replied, "That is exactly what am trying to do and actually, I do know some-one, it's been quite a long time, I only hope he hasn't moved away from home." "And where is home? If I may ask," asked Paul, "About three hours north from here, but, with a panther's body, I think we will get there in time if we run." "Then we better get going" said Ken as he leaped from the pavement to the ground. The others joined him and in an instant, four of them raced away with great speed. To get it for free on kindle click this link. http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Island-sland-ebook/dp/B00AGZE5ZA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1359068163&sr=8-2&keywords=karo+oforofuo It is only free for a limited time so, HURRY! If you want to get the paperback, follow this link.http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Island-Stolen-Globe-Volume/dp/1481063189/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359068163&sr=8-1&keywords=karo+ofor Happy reading.

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